Johnny Depp (left) and Amber Heard. Photo / AP
OPINION
Celebrities are not like ordinary folk.
Some have no problem inviting the media into their homes to take "a peek behind the curtains and closed doors".
We read about these in women's magazines. They provide adoring fans and the public with a glimpse of how life is lived by the rich and famous.
Countless movie stars, musicians, entertainers and sporting greats have let us see their fabulous homes and surroundings.
But what happens when the closed doors are yanked open and not by invitation?
We might see celebrities in a different light, one that doesn't fit the popular persona of beautiful people.
Exposing behaviour no one expected to see.
That's what we saw and heard in the Fairfax County Court in Virginia recently with the civil defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
They may not have intentionally invited the public to see their home life but that's what the public got to see.
Both provided evidence; pictures, videotapes and confronting testimony of what happens when a relationship becomes toxic.
Heard wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in 2018, in which she described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse".
Depp's lawyers said he was defamed even though the column never mentioned his name.
Perhaps by not naming him she thought she was on safe ground. Evidently not so.
Both sued for defamation, with Depp being awarded $10m and Heard $2m.
Celebrities, like most people, want to protect their good name and reputation.
Much of this case focused on whether Heard had been physically and sexually abused, as she claimed.
Depp said he never hit Heard and that she was the abuser, though Heard's attorneys highlighted years-old text messages Depp sent apologising to Heard for his behaviour as well as profane texts he sent to a friend in which Depp said he wanted to kill Heard and defile her dead body.
Depp insisted the op-ed impacted his income and livelihood. He lost film roles that were under negotiation.
The rich and famous know there is rarely any way back from a besmirched reputation.
They do everything they can to protect theirs.
Millions of viewers around the world watched fascinated by the courtroom drama as it unfolded on live TV.
There were two sides to this story. Each wanted desperately to win, with so much at stake.
But I just hope the public did not lose sight of the domestic abuse accusations at the heart of this sorry case.
Abuse can cover physical violence, sexual assault, verbal, psychological and emotional abuse.
It is found at all levels of society. This case was different, though, because we rarely see a male claiming to be a victim and it was so high-profile.
Depp was prepared to defend himself - and opened himself up to scrutiny, including testimony including his rants, videos of drug-taking and excess alcohol consumption.
Generally, men are the leading abusers of domestic violence incidences.
Women are less aggressive than men but provocation, perhaps after years of abuse and suffering, can lead to women reacting more aggressively.
Women are also growing up and living in a society where violence has increased. Research shows this has contributed to the reported increases we are seeing in women as domestic abuse perpetrators.
Women are just as likely to aggress against their partner as men are but men cause more serious physical and psychological harm.
I know men who have reported domestic abuse only to be mocked and basically told to harden up.
I always encourage men to report any incidence of violent or threatening behaviour by their partner. They do not need to harden up.
They should expect to be taken seriously and, of course, listened to by police when they report an incident.
Domestic violence, commonly called family harm these days, is not oK and it's important that we talk about it.
It can happen to all parties in a relationship.
This court case showed a celebrity marriage that was poisonous and unbearable.
Does anyone ever actually win in a case like this? I think not - the scars remain.
But one positive thing to come out of it is that it has shone a light on the issue of domestic violence.
Domestic violence hates the light. It only takes root in the darkness and shadows.